Locked into a lonely future by a cruel twist of fate, Beth reaches breaking point, leaves her husband, and flees to faraway Zimbabwe. But there she finds herself at the centre of a deadly struggle for the ownership of a farm. From a guest of honour at the President’s table to a disastrous decision that betrays a good man, her fresh start threatens to end in catastrophe. Does the land and its painted rocks hold…

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Read this book. Do it. Stop reading this review and click the button that will give you access to this enthralling read. This review will be waiting right here while you do.

Finished? Great. Here’s what you’ve just purchased: a heart-rending piece of fiction written in detached, almost clinical prose that takes the protagonist, one young doctor Bethan Jenkins, away from her afflicted husband and out on an improbable, amazing, hopeful and eye-opening journey through divided and corrupt Africa: specifically Zimbabwe.

I was hooked from the first troubling sentence, pulled apart by the home situation Bethan faces, thrilled and overcome by the fantastic storytelling, and at several points, quite amused. All this from me, a shameless genre lover who looks silly browsing through the YA section at the bookstore, writing silly yarns about superheroes. Pffff. This ought to be required reading. It’s the real deal, a poignant look at the lives of people lived in different ways, an in-depth portrayal of post-revolution Zimbabwe, an interesting look at the way land shapes perceptions as people shape the land, and a thematically strong read.

Seriously, read this.

NOTE: If you’re American, you will want to have a dictionary or web search handy. There are plenty of British-isms that pop up (marquee comes directly to mind), and I was glad to have my iBooks integrated dictionary to save me from frustrating confusion.

I received a copy of Fortunate to review for Awesome Indies and I couldn’t feel more fortunate that I had the opportunity to review it. Thank you, Andrew.

This is a stunning novel—interesting, beautifully written and hard to put down. Not only is it a great story, it also deals with deeper issues of dealing with a recently brain damaged partner and survival under a corrupt regime. Mr Sharpe offers the best of independent fiction – something truly unique. You’ll find entertainment and food for thought in this volume.